Up Close with Longhorn

Up Close with Longhorn

一起來看看新的Longhorn長什麼樣子吧
Up Close with Longhorn

以下是我粗略的翻譯(非完整全篇翻譯)：
Up Close with Longhorn(長角的特寫)

this year's Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC), Microsoft released another sneak peek at its next generation operating system, code-named Longhorn. PC Magazine, along with the rest of the WinHEC attendees, received a DVD with the 4072 build. This preview is based on that build.

在今年的視窗硬體工程研討會(WinHEC)，微軟釋出一些下一代作業系統Longhorn的訊息。PC Magazine跟著其他的WinHEC出席的人，拿到一份4072版的的DVD，以下的測試便是基於這個版本。

The latest build is similar to the one released at Microsoft's Professional Developers Conference last September. A few things have been added, though not all are obvious. At first blush, Longhorn appears to retain the look and feel of the earlier versions except for some new background art.
最新的版本和去年九月微軟在自家的專業發展研討會公開的版本相似。只是增加了一些新的東西，雖然並非都很明顯，只能說這次的初始印象是和前一個版本沒什麼兩樣的外觀以及感覺(除了一些背景圖案以外)

The bulky-looking taskbar still consumes considerable real estate on the right side of the screen, though you can minimize the bar. The overall user interface has been streamlined a bit and made more consistent. Longhorn builds a contact manager into the operating system itself and even allows users to pin frequent contacts to the taskbar.
看起來龐大的任務列(雖然你可以將其最小化)仍然在視窗右方佔據了相當多的桌面空間，整體的使用者介面已經變得比較流線型而且比較協調。Longhorn在作業系統本身內建了一個聯絡管理，甚至讓使用者可以將最常聯絡的對象固定在任務列上。

Although the surface looks placid, some goodies lurk beneath. As Neowin (http://www.neowin.net) reported, the Avalon desktop window manager (DWM) is incorporated into this build of Longhorn, though it's inactive on startup. Avalon will be the replacement for the existing Windows desktop graphics technologies, and is built on XML and DirectX. Avalon itself is an API framework, much like the GDI interface on which the current Windows desktops are built.
雖然表面上看起來很平靜，但有些好東西卻是埋藏在這之下。根據Neowin的報導，使用Avalon桌面的視窗管理(DWM)已被整合到這個版本的Longhorn中，雖然在一開始啟動時的預設值是關閉的。基於XML以及DirectX發展的Avalon將會替換掉現在的視窗桌面繪圖技術。Avalon是一個API的framework(架構)，比較像是目前視窗系統所發展的GDI介面。

The Avalon DWM alters the look and feel of the desktop just a bit. On the surface, the changes don't seem dramatic. The "bugs"—the minimize/maximize/close buttons—at the top right change a bit in appearance. The windows themselves, however, are now individual 3D surfaces. Each window, when layered above another, appears to float on top of the one below, complete with a soft drop shadow. When you hit ALT-TAB to task switch, all the windows suddenly tilt inward and neatly layer. This allows you to see all the windows more clearly.
Avalon的DWN稍微改變了桌面的外觀以及感覺。在表層看起來並不明顯。但是右上方的"bugs"(最大化、最小化、全視的按鈕)有一點點改變。視窗現在都是獨立的3D表層，當某個視窗疊在另一個視窗上的時候，會利用柔化的陰影來呈現出浮在下面的視窗之上的感覺。當你按下Alt-Tab切換工作視窗時，所有的視窗會向內傾斜並且整齊的排列。這將會讓你可以更清楚的看到所有的視窗。(請參照這張圖片)

DWM is not without bugs. The desktop manager is enabled in a DOS shell screen, and resides in \windows\i386. You type "SBCTL Start" to turn on DWM. As soon as you do, all the text and icons in the taskbar disappear, and you're left with a featureless expanse of gray.
DWM並非沒有臭蟲。這個版本的桌面管理能夠在DOS介面下使用，並且常駐在\windows\i386下，你鍵入"SBCTL Start"來啟動DWM，當你這麼做的同時，所有任務列的文字以及圖示都會消失，只會留下一片沒有任何東西的灰色區域。

These slick, 3D-accelerated features come at a cost, too. Even on our testbed, a 3.2GHz Pentium 4 running a high-end ATI Radeon 9800XT graphics card, the Avalon DWM seemed just a tad sluggish. Additional cool features, like the compositing manager, weren't available yet.
這些光鮮亮麗，有著3D加速的新功能也伴隨著相對的代價。以我們的測試平台而言，雖然有著3.2G的p4 CPU，使用最高等級的ATI 9800XT顯示卡，但是在Avalon的DWM下看起來還是有些遲鈍。而額外的酷炫特徵像是複合管理這類功能則是無法使用。

The 3D features require DirectX 9.0, and this version of the OS ships with DirectX 9.0b, unlike the fall preview, which only had DirectX 8. In fact, we were able to run 3DMark 2003 with no problems using the default Radeon 9800XT driver embedded in build 4072. (You can read more about Longhorn's anticipated 3D nature here.)
這些3D的特點需要安裝DirectX 9.0，而這個版本的作業系統已經安裝了DirectX9.0b，和之前版本不一樣的是去年的版本裝的是DirectX 8，而現在我們可以使用預設的9800XT驅動程式順利地在目前這個版本上執行3DMark 2003。

We observed another interesting feature, called castles, although we weren't able to test it. Think of castles as "mini-domains" you can create on a home network. Unlike full domains, these require no domain server. They have many of the features of full domains and build in greater security than the workgroup paradigm familiar to most users of home networks.
我們發現另一個有趣的功能叫做"Castle"，雖然我們並不能測試它。但是Castle應該被視為"迷你-網域"，你可以在家庭網路上建立它。和全功能網域不一樣的是它不需要網域伺服器。但是它具有許多完整網域的功能。和工作群組的範例相較之下，它具有較高的安全性並且相似於多數的家庭網路。

Clearly, Longhorn is still very much under construction. One reason the windows manager wasn't enabled, aside from obvious bugs, is that Microsoft considers the look and feel to be a work in progress. We'll likely see more changes to the UI and the 3D interface over time.
很明顯地，Longhorn仍在建構中。一個原因是視窗管理員並不能使用，除了明顯的臭蟲之外，微軟認為外觀與感覺都仍在修改中。我們很希望看到使用者介面以及3D介面隨著時間推進而有更多的改變。

Although our testbed seemed slightly sluggish with DWM enabled, Longhorn was still pretty responsive. The most persistently annoying performance issue was the slow initial disk access, but disk performance subsequent to first use in an applications session seemed adequate. Our test system was high-end by today's standards, but despite the slight sluggishness we observed, Longhorn's requirements aren't as onerous as some rumors would have you believe.
雖然我們的測試平台在DWM開啟時有些遲鈍，但是Longhorn仍然十分反應迅速，最讓人詬病的效能問題是緩慢的磁碟存取。但是磁碟效能subsquent對於第一次使用的應用程式來說有些adequate。我們的測試系統以目前的標準來看可以稱得上高階機種。但是除了輕微的遲緩以外，我們發現Longhorn的需求並非如同謠傳一般as onerous

Overall, Longhorn gives the impression of being a collection of neat ideas loosely tied together with baling wire to create an overall structure. We're hoping that Microsoft will be able to take this collection of neat toys and build a coherent, usable whole by the time the OS is released. Still, what we've seen, although unfinished, is promising.
整體來說我們對於longhorn的印象是一些漂亮想法的集合但是被鬆垮垮的baling線綁在一起來創造一個整體結構。我們希望在這個作業系統發表之前，微軟將可以把這些漂亮玩具做個整理並建立起一個coherent、可用的實體。雖然我們已經看到許多承諾的部分，但是它還是未被未被完成。

Longhorn Tastes the Apple
以下是我粗略的翻譯：
Longhorn Tastes the Apple (嚐起來像蘋果的長角)

The first day of WinHEC 2004 (the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference) in Seattle had, as expected, a major track on Longhorn. It focused on the new user interface and what Microsoft is planning for its next-generation operating system. A big part of it could be summed up in a word: 3D.
在西雅圖舉行的WinHEC，第一天如同預期的，都是對於Longhorn的探討。議程主要是在一個新的使用者介面以及微軟下一代的作業系統Longhorn。我們可以用一個很簡短的字來總結：3D

3D graphics on a PC have long been stuck with a "for games only" reputation. Of course, you could rightfully argue that 3D performance has been the driving force behind most recent PC performance increases; usually, the "application" that needed all the horsepower your PC could muster wasn't an application at all, but a high-powered 3D game. But now the shroud of illegitimacy is about to be lifted, as Microsoft prepares to rely on 3D performance to power its Longhorn operating system.
3D圖形在PC上已經有很長一陣子都被認為只是給遊戲使用。當然，你可能會辯稱3D性能已經成為最近電腦效能增進的原動力。通常來說，會使用到全部馬力的並不是你電腦裡的應用程式，而是高標準的3D遊戲。而現在微軟要開始依賴3D效能來增強它們的Longhorn作業系統。

Avalon is the code name for the Longhorn graphics and media interface (GUI) that software developers will use to build applications. It will have two "tiers," called Aero and Aero Glass. Given its 3D nature, running Avalon will require some pretty hefty hardware. Microsoft also surprised some people by requiring DirectX 9 to run Avalon, even though chips supporting this latest version of DirectX are just coming to market. Still, with Longhorn not arriving until 2007 (at the earliest), perhaps the DX9 requirement isn't such a reach.
Avalon是一個Longhorn的繪圖與媒體介面的代碼名稱，軟體開發商將會使用Avalon來建立應用程式，它將會有兩個Tiers(層級)分別叫做Aero以及Aero Glass。給予它3D的本質。而要跑Avalon將會需要一些十分重量級的硬體。藉由要求DirectX9來跑Avalon，微軟也嚇到了一些人。雖然完全支援最新版本的DirectX才剛在市場上出現。但是隨著Longhorn並不會在2007年之前釋出(最樂觀的預測)，或許Directx9並不是這麼難達到的要求。

Demonstrations of the new GUI showed it to be much more animated than Windows XP. 3D effects, animations of icons, and test boxes that can vary from transparent to opaque will all make for a livelier user interface. Aero and Aero Glass will offer different user experiences, depending on what hardware they detect.
從新的GUI展示中可以看出新介面將會有比XP更多的動畫效果。3D效果、圖示的動畫，以及測試方塊能夠從透明到不透明之間做變化，這些都將使用者介面變得更為生動。Aero以及Aero Class將會提供不同的使用者經驗。端看你使用什麼樣的硬體而定。

Aero is the base set of requirements for Avalon, and will require DirectX 9 (with Pixel Shader 2.0 support), 32MB VRAM minimum, and AGP 4X for a GPU or UMA. If a system does not reach this minimum, it will not get the "Designed for Windows" logo. Aero Glass will offer a richer experience. It will require DirectX 9 (with Pixel Shader 2.0 support), 64MB VRAM minimum (128MB recommended), and AGP 4X for a GPU. Microsoft is still deciding whether to allow a dual-channel UMA implementation to qualify for the logo. The company will offer a "classic" level, though technically not an Avalon tier, for systems that don't meet minimum requirements. This will allow Longhorn to run on less powerful PCs, but with an interface more akin to the Windows 2000 look and feel.
Aero是Avalon需求的的基礎套件，並且需要有DirectX 9(支援Pixel Shader 2.0)，最低32MB的VRAM，以及4X的AGP顯示卡，如過系統無法達到這最低的硬體要求。將無法拿到"Designed for Windows"的認證Logo。
Aero Glass將會提供更豐富的使用者經驗，最低硬體需求是DirectX 9(支援Pixel Shader 2.0)，最低64MB(建議128mb)的VRAM，以及4X的AGP顯示卡。有這樣規格的硬體才能拿到認證LOGO。微軟也會提供一個"古典"等級，以技術上來說並不是Avalon層級，來讓達不到最低硬體需求的較低等級的電腦系統可以執行Longhorn。但是介面會比較接近win2000的的感覺。

Microsoft's demonstrations were interesting and somehow familiar. After looking at some images and icons that grew bigger or flipped when chosen, I couldn't help but think of the dock on Apple's OS X. There's more to Longhorn, of course, than just that dock. Microsoft is looking to have applications add useful, related information in bars alongside open documents, like upcoming appointments and related cases if you're in a law program, or favorite-show information if you're in a TV search tool.
微軟的展示過程還算有趣並有些熟悉感。在看過一些圖片以及圖示變大或是選擇後翻轉。讓人禁不住想到Apple OSX的Dock。當然Longhorn除了這點以外還有很多別的東西。微軟想要增加應用程式的延伸可用性、與應用程式有關聯的資訊會在一個長條bar上面展現並與文件開啟並排，舉例來說，像是等一下的約會、或是一個法律相關的程式中會出現相關聯的案例、而像是在電視節目搜尋程式中將會顯示你最喜愛的表演資訊。

Overall, though, Longhorn still had an Apple look to it. I suppose imitation is a form of flattery, after all. It'll be years before Longhorn launches, but it should be fun to watch it develop. Microsoft is giving out early copies of it at the end of WinHEC, so there'll be lots more written about it in the coming weeks.
整體來說，雖然Longhorn仍然有著與Apple神似的外貌，我認為模仿是一個諂媚的形式，畢竟還有好幾年 Longhorn才會發行，但是看著它發展應該是件蠻有趣的事情。微軟會在WinHEC結束時發送Lonhorn的早期版本，所以接下來幾週應該會有很多相關的報導。